The Night We Met
by MsHope
Summary: A familiar song turned up on the radio (Storybrooke's only radio station, mind you) and she almost cursed aloud. Of all the songs that those idiots (she would never admit, they were good) could play, it was the song she hated at the moment, and she hated even more because she was with him. EC No magic AU! Based on Lord Huron's The Night We Met
1. The Night We Met

It was a beautiful night, honestly, the wind was blowing in the right direction (she scoffed at that one), the right temperature, the moon was shining brightly.

She drove her car to Granny's, the to-go-to place of every person. You see, it was the only decent diner in town, the best food, the best coffee, the best alcohol. Seriously. She sat on one of the stools, offered Ruby a tight-lipped smile and rested her hands on the table.

"So, Regina, anything I can get you?"  
"Anything good for a terrible, massive, black heart?" She smirked.  
"Nothing really, except for an equally black coffee." Ruby joked.  
"I'll have to drink that in order to find out." She laughed.

The door chimes sounded but she focused on Ruby's hands gently placing her coffee on the counter.

"You don't usually order black, now, Madame Mayor, what's up?" Ruby narrowed her eyes at her. Regina only shrugged her shoulders.  
"Ruby, can I get three fries and a burger, to go?" He cleared his throat and sat on the seat beside her.  
"Coming right up, David!"

Regina ignored the man sitting right beside her. She promised to, for herself and for him.

A familiar song turned up on the radio (Storybrooke's only radio station, mind you) and she almost cursed aloud. Of all the songs that those idiots (she would never admit, they were good) could play, it was the song she hated at the moment, and she hated even more because she was with him.

 _I am not the only traveler  
Who has not repaid his debt_

She asked Ruby for the bill and tapped her fingers on the counter.  
"Hey, um, Regina." She could hear his voice over the music. She was dreading every single second.  
She paid for her coffee and stood up, leaving David staring at her.  
"David, here you go." Ruby handed his take-out as he handed her the money.

He would never understand, now, would he?

 _I've been searching for a trail to follow again  
Take me back to the night we met_

The music from the diner was so loud that it could be heard from the parking lot. She hated it. What she hated more, though, was that he was following her.

She hated that song and she loved it. It was their first dance then their first date and their first kiss. She hated how much that song had meant to her – to them.

"Regina! Wait, please!" He ran after her.  
She turned on the engine and the headlights. The radio turned on and it was that same damn song.

 _And then I can tell myself  
What the hell I'm supposed to do_

He was that guy that everybody loved, you know? He was their knight-in-shining-armor (or as he put it, flannel). He was that type of guy that would say that he loved his family, his friends and would gladly give up his life for them. She was so unlike him. She was reserved, all her emotions, put into one bottle and thrown into the sea. She would crush her heart if she needed to, silently, unknown.

The thing was, she crushed her heart for the wrong person. She risked losing herself to a person who didn't take the risk for her. She wanted to rewind it all. All of it.

She hated how he stood in front of her car. She could hear him pleading for her to stop the car.

She drove backwards and turned left. She quickly regretted doing it and not locking the doors.

 _And then I can tell myself  
Not to ride along with you_

She hated herself for falling for him in the first place. She hated him for "wholeheartedly" saying he was hers and not meaning it. And there she was now, a crying mess and him trying to stop her car.

 _I had all and then most of you  
Some and now none of you_

David opened the door to the passenger seat beside hers, he panted slightly.

"Regina, I know you're mad. Hear me out, please."  
"Get out, please."  
"I don't love her…"

"Think of it this way, _Prince Charming_ , you only thought of yourself. You had me and Henry, weren't we enough? Do you know how much hurt you gave him? Of course you don't. If you did, you wouldn't have done what you did." She spat, more tears rolled down in rivers down her cheeks.

"Regina-"  
"Okay, I knew I couldn't give you children, you knew that from the start. Why couldn't you just…" She composed herself, "leave. Please leave."

 _Take me back to the night we met  
I don't know what I'm supposed to do  
Haunted by the ghost of you  
Oh, take me back to the night we met_

He slowly went out, still hesitant to leave her.  
Once she heard the door shut, she immediately made a turn to leave the diner's parking area.  
He stood there, defeated, watching her leave him.

Well technically, he left her first. He regretted that now.  
The moment he kissed Mary Margaret, all he remembered was the moment, the spark, and _her_ lips the first time they kissed. He apologized to Mary Margaret and ran away.  
He never really understood why he looked for another woman when all he needed, all he wanted, all he loved was with Regina and Henry – his family.

It felt as if the world was going down on him, every corner, every street in the little city reminded him of their time together.

He was not going to leave them. He loved his life, his family, everything.  
He had to go after her and find a way.

 _When the night was full of terrors  
And your eyes were filled with tears_

He was running. He was running home.  
He remembered her nightmares and the reasons why the nightmares occurred.  
He remembered that she told him that she was grateful for him, and hoped he'd never leave.

"Listen, I'm never gonna leave you. No matter what happens, I'll never leave you." He remembered he had said. He mentally slapped himself for not living up to what he promised her.  
She gave him a small smile and he hugged her and lulled her to sleep that night.

He remembered the night that he woke up at three in the morning, only to find her still awake. She told him everything. She bared herself to him that night.  
She told him of her first love and how her mother had killed him. She told him of the arranged marriage she had with Mary Margaret's father, and how she had to escape the marriage because if she had told Mary Margaret of what her father had done, Mary Margaret would be crushed.

But he's crushed Regina more than Mary Margaret had been when she found out.

 _When you had not touched me yet  
Oh, take me back to the night we met_

She wanted to go the day she met him, she wanted to avoid that road. She wanted to erase the memory of him, erase the first moment they looked into each other's eyes.

He wanted to go back to that day, to that moment. He remembered that the very same moment that he saw her, he knew he wanted to kiss her. He should have. He should have. He should have.

He wanted to change that night, so did she.

 _I had all and then most of you  
Some and now none of you_

He stopped in front of the gate of what they called home. It was dark outside, he checked his phone – 10:04 PM. He took a breath and entered through the gates and opened the door.

He stared, he blinked. No one, nothing. It was as if no one had lived in it in the first place.

He ran up to Henry's room, hoping, praying, that he was there, reading his comic books. He pushed the door open. No one, nothing.

She looked at the new surroundings. New home, new neighbors.

"So, Henry, honey. How do you like this new place?" She held her son, smiling.  
"I love it, mom!" His son smiled back.  
"Mom, what about dad, when will he be coming?" She knelt down to talk to _her_ son.  
"Honey-"

Three sharp knocks.  
Henry opened the door.

"Regina, we need to talk." There, standing by the doorway was Emma with knitted brows and a concerned look.  
"About what, Miss Swan? How to raise Henry? We've talked ab-"  
"About David." Regina pursed her lips.

"Henry, how about changing into your pajamas and brushing your teeth first? I promise we can have a Star Wars marathon tomorrow." She bent down a little.  
"Really?" Henry's eyes brightened up.  
"Really." They watched as the three year old quickly ran to his room. When they were sure that he was inside, Regina gave Emma a look.

"Not you too, Swan."  
"Please, call me Emma."  
"Fine, Emma. What about him?"  
"He- uh, he's in a coma."  
"What?"  
"He got hit by a car. He's severely injured, but we were lucky to find him still breathing."

He was stunned. He was on the street, in the middle of it, actually.  
The driver of the car kept on pressing the horn to make him at least move, but he stood still. The driver quickly stepped on the brakes, the car didn't stop in time.

"Who was the driver?"

Emma hesitated for a moment. She hated it. She hated having to tell Regina.

"Regina, it was Mary Margaret."  
Regina just stood there, unmoving. It was terrifying, actually. She looked like a statue, barely breathing, mouth slightly agape.

"Regina, I don't really know what happened between the both of you. I wouldn't say that Mary Margaret is entirely innocent, because I know she isn't." Emma stared at the unmoving woman.

A single tear. That was it.  
 _  
Take me back to the night we met  
I don't know what I'm supposed to do  
Haunted by the ghost of you  
Take me back to the night we met_

"May I ask your relation to the patient, ma'am?"  
"I'm his wife."

"I'm so sorry, David."

* * *

A/N  
Hello dearies!  
I haven't been writing in the fandom lately and OH MY, I MISS IT!  
This is supposedly a oneshot but please review or follow if you want me to continue this!

-Hope-


	2. I'm Not the Only One

_Trying to clear her mind, Mary Margaret paced the hallway._  
 _What if Regina found out that she lied to the doctors?_  
 _What if Regina found out that she was the one who did this mess?_  
 _It's almost been a year, and no news from her? That was crazy. By now, the Regina she knew would have come and killed her for what she did._

The doctor pulled her out of the memory when he tapped her shoulder.  
"Mary? It's Mary, isn't it?" She quickly nodded.  
"I'm Dr. Whale, and I am currently the one in charge of Mr. Nolan. He's still in a coma, well, as he's been for the past eight years but he's still doing quite well." Dr. Whale said calmly.  
"Thank you, Dr. Whale." The doctor made his move to leave, then he suddenly turned to Mary Margaret.  
"Oh, by the way, I know that you're not really his wife. So, you better go home before the real one comes. I know that it's not as likely, but hey, who knows?" He joked, and she let out a small laugh.

Regina put her pen down, she was having one of those headaches again. She looked at the clock - 3:00PM. Time to fetch Henry.  
Henry was tuning eleven in a month, which means that it's been eight years since the incident.  
She remembered that.  
Since that day, she hasn't gone into the hospital. She didn't want to. She didn't want to be reminded of the hurt, the pain or the scars. She didn't want to remember the real cause. Heck, she didn't _even_ want to know the real cause.

She quickly grabbed her car keys and walked out of her office.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Mom, can we turn up the radio?" Henry asked.  
"Sure, Henry, why not?" Regina smiled.

 _You and me we made a vow_  
 _For better or for worse_

Oh no, this cannot be the song those _idiots_ had to play. Regina tried to relax while listening to Sam Smith's soothing vocals but failed miserably.

 _I can't believe you let me down_  
 _But the proof is in the way it hurts_

It did hurt. What hurt more, though was that Henry was the most affected. Henry was the one seeing her in tears almost every night for eight years. She hated to let Henry see, but Henry came into her room every night, snuggled up to her and shushed her until they both fell asleep.

 _For months on end I've had my doubts_  
 _Denying every tear_  
 _I wish this would be over now_  
 _But I know that I still need you here_

She remembered trying to dismiss every piece of information that she received from the townspeople about anything they knew about David and Mary Margaret. She tried to pretend like she knew nothing for half a year. She remembered everyone's eyes looking at her while she entered Granny's while her husband kissed Mary Margaret.  
But she needed him. Their - her son needed a father. She needed a husband to lean on. She still needs one, to be honest, but she couldn't just leave him (most especially now that he's in a coma) just as he left them.

 _You say I'm crazy_  
 _'Cause you don't think I know what you've done_  
 _But when you call me baby_  
 _I know I'm not the only one_

"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asked from the backseat.  
"Honey, why wouldn't I?" She asked back.  
"Because you're crying." He answered.  
"Am I?"

She hated to let her innocent, sweet son see her so vunerable. For eight years, Henry only had her. She should be the strongest pillar Henry leans on, but for the past few years, Henry was her pillar, her strength and inspiration that got her through her work, her terrible mornings and through everything. She cannot and will not fail her son.

Never again.

"Is the radio making you sad?" Henry asked.  
"No, honey, it's alright."  
"I don't want it anymore if it makes you sad."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Emma!" Mary Margaret came to the door excited.  
"Why are you so... _excited_?" Emma questioned.  
"I am going on a date today. You know, a date!"  
"With who?" Emma smirked, this date is going to be a disaster.  
"Victor! You know, Dr. Whale." Mary Margaret smiled dreamily.  
"Oh, uh, okay."

The last time Mary Margaret was actually interested in a man, it was a major fiasco. The man had a family, and the wife caught them kissing in Granny's.

She wasn't so open to it, but Victor seemed like a good man - good looks, good heart (most probably) and she liked the feel of him. But mostly because he seemed like David - the hair, the eyes (oh my gosh, those eyes) and the looks.

She was more than ready to meet this guy.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Regina was a regular. She'd leave Henry with Emma every Friday night and he'd play with Emma and they'd watch Star Wars or Marvel. She, on the other hand, would visit Granny's, get a drink or two. These were the times that she was extremely grateful for Emma, for helping her raise Henry, for emotional support, and for being a friend.

As she was about to enter Granny's, she saw Dr. Whale enter, walk straight up to a well-dressed Mary Margaret and gave her a kiss on the lips.

Okay, so Regina was just supposed to be fine with that? Mary Margaret, with whom David had an affair (though she knows that David wouldn't want to call it that), was dating another man when David clearly chose her instead of Regina.

No, this was not fine. She might have hated what David did, but she hated it more that this woman is cheating (technically, they were never together, but still) on him.

She drove to the hospital that night. She walked to the front desk and asked for the room number.

She entered the room. She stared at him, and slowly sat down on the bed. She slowly stroked his hair and she realized how much she wanted to hear his voice in that moment. She realized that she missed his hugs. She realized that she missed his presence.

She always carried his favorite story, Snow White (and she'd always roll her eyes as he would label himself as Prince Charming), in her bag. They'd always laugh at the songs and impossibly unrealistic storyline of the movie and they'd read the book together afterwards.

She brought out the book containing the story and started reading it to him. Her tears started flowing as she imagined him telling the story. The way that he way he would read it was differebt every time, and it made them laugh at it. Once she had reached the part where the step-mother was made to wear the red-hot slippers and she finally finished the story, she closed her eyes a bit, letting her tears flow a bit more freely and she felt a hand on hers.

"You've cut your hair." She heard an extremely familiar voice. It sounded coarse due to eight years of not using it.  
"David, you're-"  
"Awake, yeah. How long have I been out?"  
"Eight years." He squeezed her hand, then he smiled at her. She held back her smile as much as she can.

* * *

A/N

THIS STORY IS OFFICIALLY IN-PROGRESS!  
Ok, I decided that I'm going to put small bits of songs here and there in the chapter(s) I'm gonna write. (yaaay!) So, the chapter titles are based on the song you'll encounter in each chapter. I know it's only been a while BUT I got about 10 messages (and a few more from my friends) telling me to continue this. AND your reviews and follows... okay, so I didn't expect that people would actually follow or review and I was really shocked to see reviews, favorites and follows but I'm actually really happy that people enjoy the crazy things I write! Much love :)

I hope you enjoyed this... thing!

-Hope-


	3. Together at Last

_She hated him.  
She still loved him.  
She called the doctors, the nurses, any hospital staff that wasn't asleep and snoring. They asked her to step outside the room for a moment.  
The moment the doctors came out to give her a report and tell her that David could go home within a week, she was gone._

 _She didn't want anything to do with him. Not anymore, not ever._

 **It was ten in the morning.**

"Emma?"  
"Mhm, good morning, this is Sheriff Swan." Emma mumbled sleepily.  
"Emma, _focus_!" Emma almost dropped her phone at the hard tone of her friend.  
"Regina! Oh shit, it's 10:00, I'll bring Henry over as soon as I-" Emma rushed, putting on her slippers and rushing to the bathroom.  
"Emma, it's fine really," Regina started  
"No Regina, I-"  
"Emma, I don't care what time Henry gets here!" Emma stopped. Regina sighed.  
"Emma, it's David, he's awake." Emma literally dropped her phone.  
"Emma, are you alright?" A calm, sweet voice was heard from the kitchen.

o0o0o0o0o0o

She was waiting at Granny's. She uncharacteristically ordered a chocolate milkshake - something that Henry rubbed off on her. She was nervously tapping her fingers on the surface of the table as she tried to compose herself.  
She took the first sip of her milkshake and tasted something different in it. She looked at Ruby, Ruby made her way to Regina with crossed arms.  
"Look, lady, I've known you for who knows how long and I know when you need and when you _don't_ need alcohol in your milkshake. Okay?" Regina let out a laugh.  
"No, Ruby, I meant to say thank you."  
"Yeah, _right_ , you did."

The door chimes of the diner sounded. Ruby looked to see who entered the diner. Her eyebrows shot up.

"Regina! You didn't tell me that he was..." Ruby stopped. "No wonder you needed the alcohol."  
Regina tried to stay composed.  
It's been a month since she last saw him and it's the first time he's been to Granny's. He was supposed to stay only a week in the hospital before he went home but it took a month for him to be discharged. Even he didn't know why.

"Regina, sorry I'm late. Oh, hey, Ruby." He flashed that signature smile - that same smile that captured Regina's heart more than a decade ago. He kissed Regina's cheek. She stayed still, she bit her lip afterwards.  
"David, any order?" Ruby asked cheerfully.  
"My usual, Ruby. I mean, if you still remember my usual." He smiled sheepishly  
"Of course I do! I'll just bring it over. I'll leave you guys first. You know, customers." Ruby slowly walked back to the counter.

"So, Reg, you left early that day." David smiled.  
"I had stuff to attend to. I received a message from my secretary, you know, mayor duties." She answered, as if she practiced this so many times. (To be honest, she did practice this moment more than a few times in front of her mirror.) She swatted her hand around just to show him that it wasn't anything that serious.  
"Anyways, David, why did you call me here?" She gently folded her hands on the table, taking another sip of her milkshake.  
"I-I just want to catch up. Regina," he gently touched her hands, his large hands completely covering hers. She drew in a breath. "You know how much you still mean to me. I don't want to lose you."  
"You should have thought about that before you did... " She paused to find a suitable word, but not finding any, she continued "what you did."  
"Regina, I already told you, I don't love her."  
"And you think that's enough? Stop being so _charming_ , David. You and I both know that it's deeper than what I've seen." She tried so hard to stay composed. She took another sip. This one longer than the other.  
"Regina-"  
"David, I've been holding it for eight years. I've been trying to move on from you for eight years. Just, please, David, leave me be."  
"I want to fix this. I created this mess. I love you and I love Henry. I know that deep down, you still know that."  
The both stilled as they saw Ruby approaching, David's coffee in her hand.  
"Here's your coffee, David." Ruby pursed her lips and looked at Regina apologetically. She placed the coffee on the table and left for the counter.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The ride to the house was silent. Regina was on the driver's seat while David sat beside her. She let out a sigh as they passed by their old house in Mifflin Street. She was just plain exhausted, she didn't even want to see that house right now. It crushed her. David opened his mouth to ask her about the house, but she spoke.  
"Right before you got into an accident, Henry and I moved into an apartment. There was no use for an extravagant house, after all. It was just me and Henry."  
"Thank you, Regina." He smiled at her. She wasn't looking, technically, she didn't want to.  
"For what?" She rolled her eyes a bit.  
"For raising Henry, for letting me back in."  
"What?" Her brows knitted together. Her confusion overtaking her. She parked the car nearby, more annoyed at him than ever.  
"Let me get this straight, _Charming_. I am not letting you in, you asked nicely and I know how much you've been dying to see _my_ son. Is that clear?" David just nodded his head slowly. He was going to find a way to bring them back together. They will find a way.  
"Good."  
The continuation of the ride was even more awkward than before they stopped.  
He remained silent, watching her bite her lip and fidget with her fingers when she had the chance.  
He knew her, this was not the Regina he knew, and that change was because of him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Regina searched for the house keys in the bag. Just as she got hold of the key, the door opened and a figure bumped into Regina.

"Oh, Regina. You're here. I was just going to- oh my." Emma looked to Regina's left, only to see David. She was stunned, more than stunned, really, to see David with Regina. Regina cleared her throat.  
"Uh, Regina, right. Henry's doing his homework right now. I'll just, you know, get something from the station. David, it's nice to see you again." She offered David a tight-lipped smile and headed down the stairs immediately.

"Henry, honey, I'm home."  
David was immediately enveloped by the homey scent of cinnamon, he remembered, just the way Henry loved it.  
He could hear running from upstairs, Henry, he presumed. He had a giant smirk on his face, he was going to see his son.

"Hey, mom!" Henry hugged Regina. He remembered the last time he saw Henry - Star Wars pajamas, the lightsaber pillow and kiddie comic books. Henry was only three the last time he saw his son, but now, Henry was catching up to Regina's height. He couldn't believe it! Henry was growing up so fast.  
"Henry, you probably don't-"  
"No, I remember you, dad." Henry wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either.

Regina tried her best not to tell Henry of what David has done. Her stories of David were always about how god and kind he was, how charitable David was to those who needed his help. Henry was a more-than-capable kid, by the time he was eight, he already cracked the code. Regina and Emma had to tell him everything from the beginning.

"I missed you, Henry." Tears started to pour from David's eyes. There was his son, all grown up.  
Henry started to cry too. He suddenly threw himself forward and hugged his father at the waist.  
"Dad, I missed you so much."

Regina smiled fondly at the pair, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She bit her lip and tightened her grip on her hand.  
She was glad that Henry was accepting David again, but her heart still ached from what David had done.  
 _She hated that she goes soft when it came to him._

* * *

A/N

Okay, so shout out to all the reviewers, followers, and uh how'd you call them - favorite-rs? Anyways, you probably get the idea.  
You guys are getting me through this story, to be honest.  
School started a month ago and I've been stuck in this chapter for the past month. But, here it is!

I hope you enjoyed this... thing!

-Hope-


	4. Angel Eyes

_David was sleeping in the couch, Henry in his arms. Lightsabers and Star Wars action figures littered the floor, and a bowl of popcorn was left abandoned beside Henry's lightsaber._

She laid down on the bed, putting her arm on her forehead. She got up and slowly tiptoed down the stairs, and upon seeing the pair, she felt a smile creep on her face. She opened the blanket that she was holding and put it upon the sleeping figures.

Henry was finally happy, and she could be too. She was already okay. She and Henry were doing so good already, with some of their weekly routines done with Emma, but then, he suddenly came back.  
The more she stared at his face, the more she remembered.  
The more she remembered, the more it hurt.

 _David just called, saying that he was going to stay late at the station. Henry was left with Emma, and she was lonely, she'd hate to have to negotiate with Emma just because she wanted Henry to be home that night._

 _It was ten in the evening, anyways, Emma was probably tucking Henry into bed._

 _She was alone._

 _She needed to do something. Then it suddenly hit her._

 _She quickly changed into sweatpants and a hoodie._  
 _She walked down the stairs and slipped on a pair of sneakers._

 _It was a bit chilly outside, hoodie weather, as she called it. She walked slowly to the forest, slowly taking in its fresh and earthy scent._  
 _She loved the forest, it helped her clear her mind when she was alone. She could just relax, no worries, no troubles._

 _The trek uphill was difficult, but to her, it was worth it. She was hit by a gust of fresh wind. She felt it, she was so near the water._  
 _She liked it by the river, partly because not everyone knew about it, it felt like it was hers, and it was calming just to listen to the running of the water._  
 _Behind her, she heard a rustle of leaves. She brushed it off at first, thinking it was the wind._

 _Of course it wasn't. There was suddenly a crunch of leaves and snapping of branches._  
 _She snuck slowly to the side, making sure that whatever it was that caused the sounds she had heard wouldn't see her._

 _Two figures emerged from the left, laughing and kissing. She rolled her eyes at the couple._  
 _"Teenagers," she muttered under her breath._

 _"What was that?" The woman spoke breathlessly, breaking off the kiss that she had with the man, her eyes widened, scanning the surroundings. It was Regina's ex-stepdaughter, Mary Margaret._  
 _"Mary Margaret, just relax, alright." The man gently put his hands on Mary Margaret's shoulders, kissing her forehead._  
 _The woman behind the bush blinked. Once. Twice_

 _David._

 ** _Last night I was taking a walk along the river_**  
 ** _And I saw him together with a young girl_**

 _Regina couldn't believe her ears._  
 _It was David, her David, with Mary Margaret, a woman younger than them. She knew he didn't care. No one did.  
But the fact that he was supposed to be hers and hers only..._

 _Tears started to sting her eyes._

 ** _And the look that he gave her made me shiver_**  
 ** _'Cause he always used to look at me that way_**  
 ** _Then I thought maybe I should walk right up to her and say_**  
 ** _Ah-ha-ha, it's a game he likes to play_**

 _What she hated more was that he looked at her earnestly. She knew that look, it was like windows to his soul. It's meant to be shared only between them, only between Regina and David._  
 _She hated that the man Mary Margaret looked at, stared at with wide eyes, expressing all emotion, was her husband._  
 _Her David._

 _She was used to the flirting, all the women fawning over David. She was supposed to understand that. She was his wife._

 _He was meant to come back to her every night._

 _It was midnight._  
 _He was still with her, giving her looks, kisses that were supposed to be hers._  
 _He was supposed to be hers._

 ** _Look into his angeleyes_**  
 ** _One look and you're hypnotized_**  
 ** _He'll take your heart and you must pay the price_**

 _She ran home that night._

 _1AM._

 _Her glasses were perched on her nose. Her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration._  
 _She worried. She worried that she was loosing him. It scared her, and she didn't want Henry to feel unloved. She didn't want to face that her husband had chosen someone else._

 _2:30AM_  
 _She heard footsteps._  
 _The moment he entered the room, she knew. He smelled sweet, so sweet it made her gag. He smelled like her._  
 _"You're still up." She looked into his eyes, she couldn't confront him._  
 _"Yeah. I was reading." She looked down on her book. Reading was her solace, it helped her cope, especially in times like this. She always read books when she was still married to Leopold - Mary Margaret's father._  
 _"Hey, what's wrong?"_  
 _She couldn't hate him._  
 _She looked into the eyes that caught her and helped her fall in love with him._  
 _The words couldn't come out of her mouth._  
 _"Nothing. Let's go to sleep." She put a smile on her face.  
_

 _You know, that was what she was good at - hiding her bruises. She was so good at putting a smile on her face, a front, a facade, anything that she can put up just to hide what she was thinking, what she was feeling. She hid it to the point that she knew that he could never find out what she was thinking._

 _He was in the shower when she fell asleep._  
 _She cried._  
 _It was so unlike her. She hated it._

 ** _Look into his angeleyes_**  
 ** _You'll think you're in paradise_**  
 ** _And one day you'll find out he wears a disguise_**  
 ** _Don't look too deep into those angeleyes_**  
 ** _Oh no no no no_**

 _She hated thinking of that day._  
 _She hated the day that she confronted him, she hated him._

It was 8AM, she was up, cooking breakfast.  
"Mmm, something smells good."  
He came in the kitchen with tousled hair, still in the clothes he wore yesterday. His voice was deep, a product of just waking up, and it sent shivers down her spine.  
This was her husband. Technically and legally, he still is, but the last two years of them being together was at the brink of dying. It felt cold. They were always at work, and when she took days off, he would be called to other duties, now she knew - Mary Margaret.  
She continued to cook pancakes. Henry pleaded her to put chocolate chips in it, so here it was, her famous chocolate chip pancakes.

"Morning, Reg."  
He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek, causing her to look at him.  
Causing her to look into his eyes.

She closed her eyes for a second.

"Oh my god, David. The pancakes!"  
She flipped the pancakes, only to see that it was a close call. She sighed. He chuckled softly, she was still the same.

His eyes.

She hated that they made her feel weak. It made her vulnerable to him.  
It made her chest flutter and her breathing irregular.

She hated that he never told her everything. He convinced her for almost everything in the latter two years out of the five years they were married - those two years before the crash.  
He used his twinkling, sparkling blue eyes to deceive her.

 ** _Sometimes when I'm lonely I sit and think about him_**  
 ** _And it hurts to remember all the good times_**

He already left the house, he was with Emma in the station right now.  
Henry coerced her into saying yes to David eating with dinner with them that night. So here she was, in the kitchen, cooking lasagna.

"Mom!" Henry ran down the stairs.  
"In here!" She shouted from the kitchen.  
Henry looked so timid, most unusual of him. He needed something.

"Henry, what is it?" Regina crouched down and squatted so that she was just a bit lower than Henry.  
"Mom, I completely forgot. I have a project due tomorrow, Emma promised me that she'd help." Regina bit her lip.

So, she would be forced to be with him. The entire night. Alone.

She didn't want him to come anyways, but the date was set and David would be coming in half an hour _and she had lasagna cooking in her oven for goodness' sake!_

 _"_ I'll be fine, honey. It's just dinner." She smiled, stroking Henry's hair.

Truth be told, it wasn't fine. It will never be fine.

 ** _When I thought I could never live without him_**  
 ** _And I wonder does it have to be the same_**  
 ** _Every time when I see him, will it bring back all the pain?_**  
 ** _Ah-ha-ha, how can I forget that name?_**

He came about an hour later.  
"You're late, as usual." She resisted the need to roll her eyes at him.  
"I was at the store. I brought you this." He brought out a gallon of rocky road ice cream. "The lines were long and I knew that you'd forgive my _tardiness_ if I bring you this, your _majesty_." He smiled. He knew her soft spots and he just used them to his advantage.  
"Whatever, _Charming_." She snapped. "Just... put it in the freezer."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Lasagna, huh?" He smirked.  
"Henry's favorite. He made me cook it for tonight, but sadly, he isn't here to eat it." Her voice sounded tired. Well, she was, actually. If it weren't for his commitment with Emma, or if Henry didn't insist that they do it at Emma's, then Emma would have been with them too, helping her with this.  
"Honestly, I can't remember the last time you cooked lasagna for me." He leaned forward a bit. He was testing her.  
"Well, I _do_. And if you're done eating the _best_ lasagna in the world, I'll be clearing the dishes."  
"No, I'll do it." David made an effort to stand up to help her but she stopped him by grabbing his plate first.  
"Doesn't seem right." She countered. He stood up and followed her to the kitchen.  
"The last time we had this argument-"  
"Don't start, David."  
"You know, after all this time, I've forgotten the story." He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned on the counter, watching her wash the dishes.

 ** _Look into his angeleyes_**  
 ** _One look and you're hypnotized_**  
 ** _He'll take your heart and you must pay the price_**

"I'm not saying it again, David." She let go of the sponge and the plate she was holding. She looked at him, his eyes, pleading her to relive the moment once more. " _Fine_." She shook her head a few times, rolling her eyes for good measure.  
His mouth curved upwards a tiny bit. He knew where this was going.  
"I was working late. It was a cold night. Must've been ten below. And on my drive home I realized I left my phone in the office. I remember thinking... just to forget about it, I didn't really need it... but, something inside me told me to turn around and go back." She was biting her lip. She must've told this story a dozen times but it was still powerful for her.  
"That's when you saw me?" He knew the story by heart. He memorized every word, every phrase, every sentence to that story, but he wanted to relive the moment. He wanted to know what it was like again.

 ** _Look into his angeleyes_**  
 ** _You'll think you're in paradise_**  
 ** _And one day you'll find out he wears a disguise_**

"You were on the side of the road. _Unconscious_. So cold you felt like ice. The doctor said if I'd found you ten minutes later it would have been too late. It's amazing, isn't it? If I hadn't forgotten my phone, I wouldn't have been on the road at that time." She smiled a bit, feeling a bit heroic for saving his life. He was awake after five days, much to their surprise. She remembered visiting him every day, having felt so responsible for him. After that, she felt a pull towards him, and he probably felt it too.  
"Yeah, it's... almost like _the universe wanted you to find me_." He leaned a bit closer to her, his lips, slowly ghosting hers. He stared at her, at her eyes, still showing her confusion about what she still felt. He was looking for some sort of assurance that she still loved him. _How insensitive of him, honestly._  
"I know you still _feel_ it, Regina. Because I _can_." He was breathing softly of her face, teasing the small hairs framing her face. He was sandwiching her between him and the counter.  
"David-" She bit her lip again, this time, harder. She looked at him with teary eyes. She looked away almost immediately.  
She can't just let him back in.

 ** _Don't look too deep into those angeleyes_**  
 ** _Crazy 'bout his angeleyes_**  
 ** _He took my heart and now I pay the price_**

"I'm sorry, it was just-" He took a step back and took a deep breath and straightened himself. "I just got caught up in the moment." His apology was sincere. She still took a step back.  
"You don't have to apologize, it's okay. I get it. But, I think it's better like this, you know? Being civil, just co-parenting Henry until we find a way to finalize things."  
"Yeah, you're right." He wanted to fix this relationship, he wanted to fix them, but why was is so impossible? "Anyways, thanks for dinner, Reg. Good night." He kissed her cheek. She didn't flinch or anything, she just let it happen.  
He put on his coat and his scarf. She remembered that scarf, and she knows how much he loves it because it was the one she gave him when they first met after she found him. It held so much memories and it just breaks her heart.

And all she can remember was him, Mary Margaret, and their kiss. How he looked that night, how he smelled, how he was.

She watched him leave, as if she wasn't used to that already.

 ** _Look into his angeleyes_**  
 ** _You'll think you're in paradise_**  
 ** _Then one day you'll find out he wears a disguise_**  
 ** _Don't look too deep into those angeleyes_**

* * *

A/N

Quick story: I watched _Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again_ , and I fell in love with _Angel Eyes_. I'm just so hooked into it, cause it's not everyday that yoy hear something so upbeat and carefree that has dramatic lyrics. I just love it!

I'm not sure if this still exceeds your expectations, and I don't really know if the quality of my writing changed over the months, but I hope you guys still love it as much as I love writing it.

I hope you enjoyed this... thing!

-Hope-


	5. Emma

Emma hated her brother right now. She just did.  
One moment, they were all okay. Regina was fine, Henry was more than fine, and she was getting the hang of being a parent to Henry, then _bam_ , he comes back.  
She hated that David had to hurt everyone, she hated that he hurt her the most.

David and Emma used to be close. Really close. They looked like twins, they acted like twins. They were inseparable, and it probably came from the fact that they've just met, again, when Henry (accidentally) found her (long story for another time).

But Emma hated David right now that she could crush him into dust if she wanted to (but she wouldn't because she loved him too much also).

"You're early today, _Sheriff._ " She looked up at him, her arms crossed.  
"Oh come on, Emma. I brought you Granny's."  
"What? I just greeted you!" She said, fixing her red leather jacket.

He placed the take-out on her desk, smirking along the way, knowing that she could never resist a meal from Granny's.

"Oh, it's going to take much more than that for me to forgive you, David." She sighed.  
"What did I do? I was out for eight years-"  
"You expect me to believe that you didn't know what you did, David? You really expect me to? Unbelievable. You're better than this." Emma slammed a brown envelope on David's desk.  
" _Here_! Look at everything in this file and tell me why I shouldn't be mad at you. Go ahead!"

David quickly opened the envelope, eyebrows scrunched up in frustration, in concentration, in confusion.  
He pulled out a file and pictures from the envelope, eyes wide, shoulders squared.

The photos ranged and dated from September to the following year's December. There were snapshots of him and Mary Margaret holding hands, their stolen kisses and dates. He couldn't understand, how did Emma have all this?

There was only one file that was in the envelope, dated the day before his accident. He slowly pulled it out, careful to not crease the paper. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was a divorce paper, and it was waiting for his signature for about eight years and a half.

He couldn't help but slump down on his chair.

"So, David. Now you get it? At first, I was on your side. I thought that Regina was being irrational when she filed for a divorce, I thought that she was selfish, you know? I thought that she was thinking that you spent too much time on your work, or you were always gone or something, but I was wrong. The day after your accident, I received a letter from a Mister Sidney Glass. Sounds familiar?"  
"Yeah," he gulped large amounts of air, needing something fresh.  
"I receive this envelope and I was thinking that maybe it had something to do with the accident. But instead, I see this. I see pictures of you and my roommate, I see pictures of you deceiving Regina and it's been going on for a year, and David do you know what you have gotten yourself into? Because it hurts, because I want to hate you for deceiving Regina, for hurting Henry, and for deceiving me, but I love you because you're my brother and I just found you and I don't want to lose you."  
"Emma-"  
"I finally understood how Regina felt, David, and it hurts. I just found you, David, and first step into this brother-sister thing and you're suddenly _lying_ to me, and _bam_ , you're comatose for eight years and we miss out again."

He couldn't react.  
He couldn't say anything.  
He couldn't move.

He knew that everything that Emma was saying is true.

"Hey, I'm here now, and that's what matters right now."  
"It still doesn't remove the fact that you made us look stupid with your little stunt." Tears started to roll down Emma's cheeks uncontrollably, her shaking hands gripped the sides of his desk.  
"Do you know how stupid it made me feel, David? I was Mary Margaret's roommate and you were... screwing her. Yeah, cause how was I supposed to know that my roommate and my _married_ brother, who is also the adoptive father of my _son_ would be together right? I might have hated Regina from the start but knowing that, it made me hate you. It made me hate MM, but you know what? It made me realize how strong Regina is. To know that she's known for months but waited for you to say something, for her to _tolerate_ you just because she still loved you. Yeah, David. She knew from the beginning, but she kept silent, she wanted it to come from you and it lowered her already-low esteem. You made a promise and you broke it, David."

David stood up from his seat and put his hand on Emma's shoulder but she shrugged it away.

"You better fix your mess, David, even if it's eight years too late. Henry might have accepted you on the outside, you and Regina may be civil, but don't expect that they're fixed, because they were the ones trying to clean up your mess. _We were trying to clean up your mess."  
_

Emma grabbed her car keys, leaving the Granny's take-out on her desk.

"I'm going for rounds, I'll come back later."  
"Yeah, if you need me, I'll be right here."

The station phone rang, shocking David for a second.

"Sheriff's station, who is calling?"  
"Oh, so it's true!"

* * *

A/N

Yes, dearies, I'm back!  
Things have been a li'l tough lately buuuut they're okay now.  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to hear from you guys soon!

-Hope-


	6. Problematic

_"Sheriff's station, who is calling?"  
_ _"Oh, so it's true!"_

"I'm sorry, sir?" David was confused, what did he mean by "oh, so it's true?"  
"No, I was just in a state of shock, Sheriff Nolan." The deep voice answered, a smile was evident by the way he talked.  
"May I please ask who the caller is?" David was firmer this time, being alert.  
"Oh, you'll have to guess that one, _sheriff_." The man chucked, dark and deep. It was still unidentifiable for David.

There was a pause.  
 _One,_  
 _Two,_  
 _Three.  
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep._

"Shoot!" David slammed the phone down.

"Woah, I'm gone for ten minutes and you're having a fit. I'm starting to think that having you in the station is not such a good idea." Emma tossed her car keys on her desk. She put the Granny's take out on David's desk and walked to the door.  
"Emma, wait!" She stopped and turned around to face him.  
"What?" She sounded annoyed, she was still angry from a while ago, she was still mad, thoughts were still running in her head.  
"A man called. Personal," Emma made a face. "I mean he called not for help, but for personal reasons. You think you can check who it is?"  
"And how exactly can I do that?"  
"I got the conversation recorded."

o0o0o0o0o0o

Today was one of those days.

She was suffering from a terrible headache, Henry wasn't with her. To be specific, Henry wasn't in town. There was a school camp and she let him go because she found that it was a good opportunity. She didn't want to bother Emma because Emma was probably working, she didn't want to call anyone else. That's when it hit her, she grabbed her keys and drove her way to Granny's.

The door chimes sounded, alerting Granny and Ruby of the new customer in the diner.

"What can I get you, _Madame Mayor_?" Ruby said with a large grin.  
"What has gotten in you, Ruby Lucas? Why are you grinning at me like that?" She gave Ruby an amused smirk.  
"Oh, nothing. It's just this new guy in town."  
"There's a new guy in town?"  
"I was hoping you knew him, but oh well. Anything I can get you?"  
"Coffee, maybe? Oh, and fries." She rubbed her hands together, trying to block out the chill coming from the window.  
"I'll be right back, Regina." Ruby smiled, and Regina nodded.

A few minutes later, Ruby came back with the coffee and the fries, and her apron in another hand. Ruby sat down on the couch opposite Regina and clasped her hands together on the table.

"Ruby, why-"  
"Granny let me, and you know that she can sense negativity from afar." Ruby laughed.  
"And Regina, I've known you for a long time. I know when you need someone to talk to."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"David, you are not going to find him, or talk to him, or murder him or something!"  
"Don't tell me what to do, Emma!" Emma was trying desperately to calm him down. It was useless. He was in full-blown mad mode.  
"This is not like you, David. Stop it."  
"He's practically obsessed with my wife! What if he does something to her or-"  
"Regina won't let that happen, okay? Don't you have faith that she could defend herself?"

David hesitated for a second.

"Maybe you're forgetting, David. I wouldn't know how it felt like from your perspective, but it was eight years of cleaning up after you for Regina. God knows how Regina fixed her life after what you did. she's stronger than you think, David. Believe me, she hates him even more than you do but she can use him at her advantage if she wanted."  
"I- you're right. I'll just call her."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Your phone is ringing, Regina." Ruby put her hand over Regina's, startling Regina.  
"Hello?" Tears were still rolling down her eyes, and she dabbed them quickly with tissue.  
"Hey, Regina. How are you?" Regina gulped a bit of her iced water, soothing her throat.  
"Good. Why did you call?" He bit his lip, knowing she was hiding something.  
"Do you want to eat out tonight?" Her eyebrows shot up, her lips, pursed.  
I'm not really in the mood to go out today..." She really wasn't anyways, she wasn't lying. She was tired and she was hoping to stay home.  
"Then I can take out from Granny's so you don't have to cook today. Henry's in camp so I was thinking you needed some company."  
"David, you really don't have to." She sighed. Ruby suppressed a grin, she knew how perfect David's timing was this time.  
"I won't do anything like last time, I promise!"  
"Fine. Be at the apartment by 8 p.m. sharp. I won't entertain late-comers, not today."  
"Yes, your _majesty_." He laughed over the phone. Regina was biting back a smile, Ruby knew.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"It's just 7:30, how are you so early?" Regina opened the door to a grinning David.  
"I was scared you wouldn't let me in, so I decided to come earlier."  
"The place is still a bit messy, I haven't really fixed up after Henry left for camp." She fluffed her hair a bit, trying to shake of the stress she was feeling right now.

She was tense. She was scared another incident will happen (just like the one last time) and she wasn't prepared for it. She was tense, because she knew that she was confused. Everything seemed to mess up after David came back. Everything was messier with him and she didn't even know why she said yes to him bringing over dinner.

"You know that I don't really care, right?" She rolled her eyes, a smile was tugging at the corners of her lips.  
"Just put the food on the table." David nodded, and soon, they were both fixing the table.

They were drinking wine and laughing at things, how things have changed so much.

"Yeah, he's been growing up really fast." She laughed. She shook her head fondly at the memories that she and Henry made over the years.  
"I'm just sorry that I missed a big part of it."  
"You know, he's actually really happy that you're here right now."  
"He is?" David's smile brightened. He was proud, he was happy.  
"Yeah, he is." Regina smiled back.

* * *

A/N  
I can't possibly describe how overwhelmed I am right now!

Thank you so much for your reviews, faves, and follows. I can feel the looooove.

To Ethy, I hope you get a clue of who it is! Also, to "Guest" asking for more chapters, yes, there will be more chapters! I can't tell how many there will be left though (and I'm really slow when it comes to writing these things [plus, I always forget to edit :(]).

Also, I'm continuing this chapter soon! I'm just making full use of my break right now so I'm writing full time.

And I wanted to ask opinions whether I should stop this soon or should I keep on going? Review your answer or you can message me about that.

I hope you guys enjoyed this... thing. Hope to hear from you guys soon!

-Hope-


	7. Torn

Maybe they drank a little bit to much, but somehow they ended up kissing at the end of the night.

Somehow, they ended up breathing heavily, (almost) on top of each other on the sofa.

Somehow, they ended up in her bed (not their old bed. Hers.)

Somehow, she felt so vulnerable (because why in the world did she let him near her again?) and weak.

He cheated on her with her _own_ ex-step daughter. He—

"Morning, Reg," he lazily drawled, sitting up a little and leaning down to kiss her. She slightly moved away. She was still wrapping her head around it, and as much as she enjoyed (she didn't want to admit it at first) last night, this couldn't happen again.

"David, I—"

She slowly got up, trying to keep her eyes off his blanket-covered lower body (because she had to admit it— he got back in shape after three months).

"I— uhh — I've got to take a shower and run some errands or I'll be late. Make yourself comfortable and I'm _sorry_ I have to leave you this way but I'm really busy. Bye!"

She grabbed an emergency pre-made outfit and ran into the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she breathed heavily.

This was so unlike her! She was the mayor of this goddamn town, not some nervous teen (she knew because this was how Henry made excuses). But no matter what, she wasn't going to face David the way she did, and then she remembered —

" _Oh my god,_ I was naked!" She whispered. Her hands immediately covered her reddening face. She shook her head violently.

This was such a disaster.

o0o0o0o0o0o

She had already finished her shower, and she dressed up quickly. She silently thanked the gods that David wasn't on her bed anymore and the bed was perfectly made.

Briskly walking down the stairs, Regina heard humming and smelled (the heavenly aroma of) pancakes.

 _David._

True enough, David was preparing pancakes and putting them in a microwavable container while singing.

 _"When there's no getting over that rainbow,_  
 _and the smallest of dreams won't come true,_  
 _I can take all the madness the world has to give_  
 _but I won't last a day without you."_

Regina just stared at him with wide eyes.

"Uh, hey Reg, I just thought that since you were busy you'd forget to eat. I know I'm not the best cook, and my pancakes aren't as good as yours but," he smiled. "Hey, I tried."

"It's okay," she said softly, giving him a tight smile. She took the microwavable, stood on her tiptoes (even if she was wearing heels) and kissed his cheek.

"They're perfect, David. Thanks for the pancakes. I'll go ahead. I'm really sorry to leave you like this. Just leave the pan there, I'll clean it when I get home," she rushed.

 _But of course he wouldn't leave it like that._

o0o0o0o0o0o

 _Why did she have to kiss him?_

She covered her face at the thought of kissing his cheek, entirely troubled by her own actions.

She would tell him that this was all a mistake — simply a lapse in her judgement. But she was still his wife in his eyes. She was still his wife in the eyes of the law.

She was being torn apart.

(Because deep down, she still loved him but she didn't want to be with a person who would hurt her again and again and again.

She loved him but she couldn't)

o0o0o0o0o0o

" _I kissed him_ , Emma, and we spent the night together. I don't know what's happening to me," Regina sighed over the phone.

"Too much details, Regina."  
 _"Emma, I'm trying to prove a point here!"_  
"Regina, I don't know how you actually feel about the situation, but maybe you're meant to be back together? I don't know, I'm making this up."

Regina only sighed at Emma's answer. She was most definitely _not_ helping.

"Can I ask for a favor?"  
"Yeah, sure."  
"Can you use your superpower on him?"

* * *

A/N

I disappear for a year and I return with this? Psh.

Speaking of which, thank you to all the people who still fave/follow this work even if I was gone. I've been so stressed lately but yay, I posted something! I feel so productive :) I hope you guys liked the little Carpenters. They're my absolute favorite, but please tell me what you think!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this... thing. Review, fave and follow for more!

-Hope-


	8. Operation Milkshake

Emma had no idea how to tell Regina that—

A familiar, yet seemingly different pair of hands covered her eyes. The owner of the hands laughed heartily, and the sound of Ruby's laugh followed. Emma was beyond shocked. Oh, finally!

"Henry! My god, you're back!"

She quickly hugged her son tight. He had grown so tall in a matter of months!

"Regina's not gonna be happy that you're taller than she is," she said in a mock-disapproving tone.  
"I know that, but I can't help myself! The food in camp was _so_ good, I'm not kidding."  
"Even better than _my_ food?" A "hurt" tone came from behind.  
" _Mom!_ "

Henry hugged his mother — no — _squeezed_ his mother.

"I thought you were gonna be out of town?" Henry asked.  
"I'm not going to miss this occasion for the world, son," Regina said, slightly touching the tip of Henry's nose. "But, uh, I have to leave very soon, I have a meeting with this _Weaseltown_ man. I wish I could spend more time with you right now, but I really have to go. I'll make lasagna today, I promise! Emma, please come eat with us. If you're not busy, that is."

Henry's face lit up upon hearing that his mother will be making his most favorite food in the world. Emma chuckled at the sight. Henry looked like a tall five-year old who had just been given a box to play with. Regina, on the other hand, shook her head at her son's expression.

"I'd love to go, but I have an undercover today, I'm so sorry," Emma smiled sadly.

 _Undercover, yeah, Emma scoffed._

Ruby had poured Regina's coffee in a to-go cup and smiled at the small, weird family that she's known for the longest time. There was no doubt that Henry was Emma's son, but the way that he brightened up Regina's world, and even acted like her at times never made anyone doubt he was Regina's son. It gave her the sudden urge to hug them all.

"Uh, Regina? Here's your coffee. Have a great day, Reg!"

Ruby handed Regina her coffee, and Regina enthusiastically received it. She waved Emma and Henry goodbye before leaving and going to work.

When Henry was a hundred percent sure that Regina was out of the diner, he quickly sat down on the chair opposite Emma.

"How's _operation milkshake_? Is it finally working? Are we even close?"  
"Hey, slow down kid," Emma laughed. "So far, your mom's asking me to use my superpower on David."  
"Why?"  
"She still doesn't trust him— I mean I wouldn't too, after everything," Emma said sadly.  
"I guess so," Henry softened. Hushing up immediately as they saw Ruby coming.

Ruby put down a tall glass of chocolate milkshake, which made Henry smile almost immediately.

"Here you go, Henry! One large chocolate milkshake with extra whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon!"  
"Thanks, Ruby!" Henry exclaimed, immediately taking a sip of the heavenly drink.

After admiring the drink for more than ten minutes, he immediately remembered about what he and Emma were originally talking about.

"Ma, we have to find a way for her to trust him again!"  
"Thus, the superpower, kid."  
"Have you used it yet?"  
"Yeah."  
"Then what's the result?"  
"I might be wrong, though?"  
"It doesn't matter!"  
"He's not one hundred percent telling me the truth, but I understand."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I checked on a few things and— never mind," she waved her hand, as if telling Henry to forget it.  
"Ma, I mean it!"  
"He's meeting up with Mary Margaret tonight. That's why I told your mom I was going undercover," she said in a hushed tone.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Henry couldn't wrap her head around what Emma had said. It was outrageous! Not only did David not make an effort to see him today, but he also went to see Mary Margaret. This was so unacceptable and so unfair!

A hand moved over Henry's, and he looked up to see a concerned pair of warm chocolate eyes.

"Henry, is everything alright? You haven't eaten your lasagna yet."  
"Yeah mom, just missing camp, I guess," he lied.  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
"I guess?"

By the end of the night, Regina had Henry laughing about his three months in camp (and had him eating more than three _huge_ servings of lasagna). He told her stories of ghost night and how he ended up scaring eight people who believed he was an actual ghost scaring them. He told her of this girl from camp that he liked, but that she lived in London, and he doesn't worry because they were friends on Facebook. He told her of his new friend— Skippy, a rabbit who wouldn't leave his side for a week (even if he had to _go_ ), and so many more stories of his new friends.

Regina smiled as she remembered her own months in camp. She told Henry that no one thought that she was capable of leading a group because she was a girl, but proved them all wrong when her team won almost every single activity. What she didn't tell him, though, was that she had met David in that camp. She was immediately smitten by him, but it turned out, he was an arrogant, selfish fool, but at the same time, he was nice to her, and it softened her teenage heart. He degraded her, and at every turn, she proved him wrong, and at the same time, he praised her. She was so confused of what she had felt for him until after a week, she found out that he had an (as he called it) evil twin named James who was so unlike him. They laughed endlessly about it, even when they had already married. It was hilarious (to them, at least).

She and David became good friends, and often tried to detach themselves from James. They—

"Mom?"  
"Yes, darling?"  
"Are you alright?"  
"Yes, darling. I just remembered something from my camp," she smiled.  
"Please tell!" Henry pleaded with his cute puppy eyes.  
"It's a story for another time, my prince. It's half-past eleven! We've got to get you to bed now," she patted his head, and tapped his nose with the tip of her finger.  
"But mom!" Henry protested.  
"Another time, I promise!"  
"Okay," Henry pouted.

She tucked Henry in, upon his request, and sang to him until he fell asleep.

She loved her little boy—no, correction— her little man.

She got ready to go to bed and her thoughts drifted back to _him._

 _Once upon another time, our story had only begun.  
_ _"Yes, but he chose to turn the page, and I made choices too,"_ she thought.

Now it was time to make another choice for herself.

It was over.

* * *

A/N

I'm back earlier than expected, wow!

So, for those who didn't get the reference at the end, it's from _Once Upon Another Time_ from Andrew Lloyd-Webber's _Love Never Dies._ Honestly, I'm not really a fan of _Love Never Dies,_ (well, I mean I never liked the plot, per se, if ever you would make me choose, I would ignore this musical altogether and let _Phantom of the Opera_ stand on its own, no sequels whatsoever) but I love the music (most of it, I mean, and not including _Beneath a Moonless Sky_ )!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this... thing. Review, fave and follow for more!

-Hope-


	9. Poison and Wine

"David, we need to talk," she said. Her tone was hushed as she pulled David to an empty room and locked the door behind her.  
"Emma, I can explain–"  
"I saw you last night, David. _How could you?_ I thought you had already changed. I was wrong," she said, tears almost filling her eyes.  
"You don't know what happened, Emma," he said calmly.  
"Then tell me! Make me understand why you keep _lying_ to Regina, and Henry, and," she paused. "And, and me. How do you want me to trust you again? You're my brother, and I'm not supposed to _hate_ you like I do right now. I desperately want to believe you and–"  
"It's not hard to believe me, Emma!"  
"How is it not, _Prince Charming_? You're supposed to get what you want and let other people suffer and clean up after you? I never thought I'd ever say this but," she breathed. "You're arrogant and selfish. You're so dense and I thought you were so much better than that. _I can't believe that people actually look up to you!_ Regina doesn't deserve this. You _don't_ deserve Regina."  
"Emma, please let me explain," he said again, calmly, still.  
"There is nothing to explain, David. There is nothing to redeem either. Regina's leaving tomorrow," Emma managed to say. Her jaw was clenched and her fists were balled.  
"Leaving?"

Emma immediately covered her mouth. She had said too much.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"I'm going to Harvard," Regina said plainly.

Regina had gotten her confirmation last Saturday, and all she had to do was look for a small little flat to stay in. She needed to get comfortable living on her own (again), and doing some other things she wasn't used to doing anymore (ehem, like make her own coffee, because she doubts that there's anyone like _Ruby_ in Massachusetts).

He thought he could change her mind. He thought he was knight-in-shining-armor enough to plead her to stay. He thought that he could–

 ** _You only know what I want you to  
I know everything you don't want me to_**

"Harvard," he breathed out.  
"Yes, I'm going to grad school, and I'll be away for quite some time. Henry will stay with Emma for the years that I'll be gone. I don't want Henry to move and adjust for my sake; it isn't fair to him. Wait, why am I telling you all this? I don't need to. If you have any concerns, there will be a new mayor effective tomorrow. This was all in the town meeting, by the way. You didn't have to interrogate," she clarified an annoyed manner.

"Regina – Reg – please, don't do this," he begged.  
"For what? I know everything and," she stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. "There's no use trying to win me back because you can't, David."

Her voice was softer, gentler, yet filled with hurt and pain.

 ** _Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine  
You think your dreams are the same as mine_**

"David, I don't think I want to put myself through all this again," she whispered. Her tears threatened to fall, yet somehow stayed in their rightful position.

She recalled everything that _he_ had told her, everything that she had seen. She recalled everything that she heard from Emma's recordings and it broke her heart a million times over. She thought she could forgive him. She thought that they had a future again. She thought that he had truly changed. She thought.

She was so addicted to the thought that she didn't really try to _see._

He had thought of the same thing, and he wanted to make it work.

 _But they said that you have to stop watering a plant that's already dead._

She had tried to turn back to the person she was before everything happened: before the Mary Margaret fiasco, before David's coma, before eight years of trying to heal and forgive. She had tried to be the same woman whom he loved, she tried to do it because she wanted Henry to have a complete family–a beautiful family he could always be proud of. She tried to do her best, but she couldn't. She had grown and matured too much since then and–

 ** _Oh I don't love you but I always will  
Oh I don't love you but I always will  
Oh I don't love you but I always will  
I always will_**

They stood there, just waiting for each other to say another word. Her tears were still contained, and he was still on the ground, his eyes pleading her to stay.

 _What ifs_ ran in her head. What if he hadn't strayed? What if she hadn't been such a workaholic? What if they had actually saved what was left of their relationship and things had worked out? What if–

What if she still loved him and she didn't want to leave?

"What if I don't want you to leave? Is nothing strong enough to stop you?" He said, sounding a little bit like a child.  
"You can't stop me," she replied simply.

She took a step back as his head fell forward.

"Regina," he looked up to her face. "I love you. I really do, and I promise you that I will love you every single second of my life, with my entire being."

She shook her head, pursing her lips and the tears she had so carefully kept within its constraints were giving out, almost flowing down her cheeks.

"I don't believe you. Not anymore. I don't think I ever could," her voice cracked.

 _But she doesn't love him anymore, yet she always will._

 _He will love her 'til the day he dies, but in the shadow of knowing that had utterly, tremendously, messed up. He won't stop loving her. He always will love her._

 ** _I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back  
The less I give the more I get back_**

What had he gained? With this little stunt of his, he meant.

What had he gained? With everything he had done–

She had left him begging her to stay. He had held her hands, grabbed her wrists and tried to hold her tight, but she was cold, unfeeling, and then he let go.

She wished his hands had held her longer.

 _But he had given up and so did she._

She left the following day. She had kissed Henry goodbye as if she'd never see him again. She smiled of course, through tears, and promised that she'd call every day and if she didn't have much to do, she'd video call.

Henry made her swear by it, and they cried and laughed, and she kissed her little prince one last time. Emma had also cried. Whatever. Her best friend was leaving and made her the new mayor because _"damn it, Emma! Let's admit it, you're the best candidate around here."_ Granny was there, and she gave Regina a good-luck hug and kiss on the forehead. Ruby told Regina that she'd miss her every single day Regina was gone and that she had to promise to take care of herself (and never replace Ruby as her favorite barista). Regina only chuckled. She laughed, genuinely laughed.

It was such a rare sight.

 ** _Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise  
I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you_**

David didn't show up in Regina's small send-off party.

How could he possibly?

He couldn't.

It was impossible.

He felt so broken and hurt and he had finally realized how she had felt.

It wasn't until the last minute that he decided that he would go after her, just like he should have all those years ago.

 _Because at the end of the day, they should have gotten their happily-ever-after, right?_

Because no matter what, at the end of the day, she was still his wife and he would repeatedly choose her. He would. He would.

 ** _Oh I don't love you but I always will  
Oh I don't love you but I always will_**

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she crossed the town sign.

 _Don't cry.  
_ _Don't cry.  
Don't cry. _

_He's not worth it._

 ** _Oh I don't love you but I always will  
Oh I don't love you but I always will_**

He did his best to follow her, he really did. _Because no matter what, at the end of the day, she was still his wife and he would repeatedly choose her. He would. He would._

He was going full speed, until a car stopped him–Emma.

"David," she bit her nail.  
"David, I really don't know what to tell you," she started. Emma closed her eyes, tugging her red leather jacket around her even more.  
"Emma," he placed his hand on her shoulder, attempting to hug her, but she swatted his hand away.

Tears started flowing from Emma's eyes, and she let out sobs of despair, of grief, of mourning.

 _"David, she's gone."_

Regina tried her best to avoid it, but the driver on the road was drunk. She tried her best to get out of his way but he had ended up crashing into her car. Fatal accident.

He lived.

At the cost of Regina's life.

 _"David, Regina's gone,"_ Emma sobbed.

David just stood there, unmoving. It was terrifying, actually. He looked like a statue, barely breathing, mouth slightly agape.

 _No.  
No.  
No._

 _This wasn't supposed to be how it ended. He loved her, and this wasn't supposed to be how this ended. He loved her._

 _She told him that she didn't love him any longer but–_

 _He did. He always had, even if she didn't._

 ** _Oh I don't love you but I always will  
Oh I don't love you but I always will_**

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

This was his fault, he thought.

He could have fixed it.

But he didn't.

Emma had left him. She had to tell Henry,

and Ruby,  
and Granny,  
and the rest of the town.

He was alone.

 _He loved her, and this wasn't supposed to be how this ended. He loved her._

 ** _Oh I don't love you but I always will_**

He turned on the radio just for a moment, just to distract him from everything going on. A familiar song turned up on the radio (Storybrooke's only radio station, mind you) and he almost cursed aloud.

 _"I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you.  
Take me back to the night we met. I don't know what I'm supposed to do,  
Haunted by the ghost of you. Take me back to the night we met."_

The song finished and he was in a daze. Of all the songs that those idiots could play, it was the song he hated at the moment, but he hated even more because she wasn't with him.

There was none of her left.

But he loved her.

He always will.

 ** _I always will  
I always will  
I always will  
I always will  
I always will_**

* * *

A/N

And that concludes _The Night We Met_! Okay, permission to hate me for this last chapter.

For those who don't know: the song is _Poison and Wine_ by The Civil Wars (+ because of my faves Ramin and Sierra)! It's one of my favorites, and I've always wanted it to be part of the last chapter. Honestly, this last chapter came as a shock to me too! It was just writing, and before I knew it, the chapter was over. Also, I wanted to 'pay homage' to canon and let Emma 'slip' a little something just like Snow did. And I also thought that it would be nice to add the 'if you cross the border, something bad will happen to you' into the story so yeah.

I also added bits and pieces of Chapter 1 in it so yay!

Again, I give you permission to hate me for this last chapter. You may express your joy, sadness, rage, or whatever you feel in the review section or giving this a fave *winks*

Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed this nine-chaptered (is chaptered even a word?) thing! To those I have disappointed, I'm so sorry. I will try to make a happy ending!EC fic for y'all (if time permits. I mean you can see how long it took me to finish a nine-chapter thing right?).

-Hope-


End file.
